A/N: First off- a warning- this is fairly dark pertaining to a emotionally abusive relationship with depiction of mild physical violence as well.
If this bothers you, I would strongly recommend turning around and reading something else.

Secondly- this is a songfic (my first one- eek!) based on Skylar Grey's [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdXF5LD1BOk]Love the Way You Lie[/link]. It's sort of like the Rihanna/Eminem version, but better. They share a common chorus, in any case.

This is obviously AU set post-NJO/pre-DN. Sometimes, Dark!Kyp just has to come back out to play.

Love the Way You Lie

I.

?Are you still seeing Kyp??

She?d been staring absently at a cup of caf, running her finger around the edge, mind a thousand kilometers away while he gave the obligatory rundown of the important parts of his life since they?d last met. A vague smile touched her lips and she looked down again, shrugging lightly.

?Is it serious??

?Jag??

He stared at her carefully, trying to catch brown eyes that were determinedly lowered to the table. ?You?re distracted and quiet- it?s unlike you.?

She took a deep breath and forced her eyes up to his. ?It?s? complicated, what Kyp and I have.?

?But real enough that you?d leave me for him.? She flinched. ?I?m sorry.? He sighed and ran a hand through his short black hair. ?I promised myself a drink between friends.? She was silent and staring at the table again. ?We?re still friends- aren?t we? Jaina??

On the first page of our story
The future seemed so bright
Then this thing turned out so evil
I don't know why I'm still surprised

She drew a heavy breath. ?Yes, of course.? Smiling tentatively, she reached across the table and put a hand lightly on top of his. ?I?ve missed you.?

Part of him wanted to desperately ask why she?d left then- but he promised himself that he wasn?t here for that. In any case, those early months after the war had been difficult, as the emotional toll finally began to fully set in for her. And as much as Jag loved her? Kyp was more readily available, when she needed someone.

He didn?t have to like it, but he understood.

?Do you want to go up to my quarters??

No.

?We can talk more comfortably up there.?

No.

?Jag??

?Of course.?

Even angels have their wicked schemes
And you take that to new extremes
But you'll always be my hero
Even though you've lost your mind

She made little pretense of her intentions, but there was no passion in the seduction. Only when he thought to voice his objections did she bother to kiss him, even as her hands went to work deftly unfastening her utility belt. It clattered unnoticed to the floor as her fingers went to work with the fastenings on his uniform tunic.

He made little pretense of holding the moral high ground; a day didn?t go by when he didn?t crave her touch. But a vaguely guilty thought of betraying a man who had once been a friend of sorts, had stared death in the face by his side, ensured that he derive marginally less satisfaction from the act.

Afterwards, he held her small body against him and watched her sleep. The pain bled away in her unconsciousness, made her look young once more, reminded him of the girl he first knew, before war had stripped away her innocence.

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
Well that's alright because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

The buzzing of a comlink woke them both; cursing softly under her breath, Jaina reached for it on the bedside table and thumbed it on. ?Solo.?

A brief pause. ?Did I wake you??

Jag stiffened to hear the voice of Kyp Durron as his brain caught up to where he was and who he was with- and what they?d just done. Strange that so pleasantly familiar an act could now derive all manner of unpleasant speculation about losing limbs to a lightsaber blade.

Jaina is...very confused. At least she strikes me as confused. Being pulled between Kyp and Jag. Jag seems confused too, for that matter.

I spent WAY too long getting into these characters' heads/emotional states yesterday to not respond to this:

She's not confused at all- her actions are very calculated. It's all in the last three lines.

In the back of her mind, she wondered if the bruise on her cheek was dark enough, fresh enough, that he would notice it the next day, unlike the older, faded ones he had overlooked earlier.She made little pretense of her intentions, but there was no passion in the seduction. Only when he thought to voice his objections did she bother to kiss himIn the back of her mind, she wondered whether he was willfully ignorant of her fearful desperation when their eyes had met over her comlink, or just plain oblivious.Soft brown eyes met pale green as Jag stared stoically back at her. Something flickered in her eyes, so brief he could not see what it was- and when she spoke, it was with a new stiff coldness that was probably lost over the comlink.In the back of her mind, she wondered- What would be the point?"Can I see you again before you leave?"
He didn't meet her gaze as he straightened his disheveled tunic. "What would be the point?"

She'll never choose to leave Kyp- and Kyp knows it- but Jag could make the choice for her if he'd look beyond his pain over her leaving him in the first place and see what she's trying to show him. Why is she sleeping with him if she feels no passion for it? And why would she want to see him again if she's going straight back to Kyp?she wondered if the bruise on her cheek was dark enough, fresh enough, that he would notice it the next day, unlike the older, faded ones he had overlooked earlier.

Being with Jag was never about intimacy for her- but that's all it was for him. He's not confused, just oblivious (i.e. a man).

Ceillean said:

And Kyp...well. On the one hand, I REALLY like this dark Kyp. Obviously. But on the other hand, he creeps me the hell out.

It's a song I did not hear, but it is written beautifully. Jaina ... really lost, I feel sorry for her. Jag sorry too, but he is strong, he will manage. And Kyp ... dark Kyp devilishly attractive, but at the same time he'd like to give to the face.
Thank you for this wonderful fic!

How is this 4 months old already?! Sheesh. Anyway, heard this song today and thought of this, so here's some really old replies-

TwinsinsThlee said:

It made me sort of sad, but I think you captured their personalities in an aspect in which it makes the worst out of all of them.

Oh dear, I did, didn't I? Well, we all have our bad days I suppose...

TwinsinsThlee said:

Dark Kyp freaked me out a little bit (but was sexy at the same time), and for me, impassive Jag was HOT.

LOL, you and Lori- you like the bad boys I guess.

DarthBellumSolo said:

It's a song I did not hear, but it is written beautifully. Jaina ... really lost, I feel sorry for her. Jag sorry too, but he is strong, he will manage. And Kyp ... dark Kyp devilishly attractive, but at the same time he'd like to give to the face.
Thank you for this wonderful fic!

Thanks and glad you liked. And I'll confess, I find dark!Kyp devilishly attractive too, even if I'd like to punch him in the face. Maybe that'll be the sequel.